On Bedlington.uk Now...

Maybe Bedlington history society and you could join forces. BEDLINGTON needs its own museum. Maybe John Hall originally from North seats ,but went to Bedlington grammar school would donate the opportunities are there. It needs a team of volunteers to organise it. I was at school with Claire Mitchell ner mam wasEllen Mitchell. I am sure that her family would be involved. There are just so many people who would support this. Also I have an extensive collection of disaster glasses some that are unknown linked with Bedlington and guidepost, Anyway it’s just a thought

Thanks. I suppose that the council knows who owns the land. I will ring them. If they do maybe they will donate it.

@Pegwoman - 1924 map showing Puddlers Row at the end of Puddlers Road (now Stead Lane) :-

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Thanks for the info about the land. It was an uncle of mine who kept everything and we had to have an extension built to house all his parents stuff. Friends and family who see it think it’s a time capsule. At the moment I am busy cataloging all documentation and correspondence. Wish Even Martin was still around.

So a mini Beamish for Bedlington. Sounds good @Pegwoman. Do you think there is a spare plot of land, with Carparking, in Bedlington? The grassed area at the top of the Elenbel & Tomlea Avenue where Puddlers Row used to be? Our home is like yours as my wife keeps everything, stashed away in cupboards, just incase we ever need it

I actually have loads of artifacts from 1906 to 1980. Furniture , clothes, China, gramophone records. Household insurance documents, curtains from Shiney Row. First and Second World War correspondence. As well as photos. Then I am sure others have artefacts from 1980 onwards. Anyway it was just a thought. I loved Woodhorn as it was. Thanks for your comment.

Unfortunately @Pegwoman I would thing any artefacts of Bedlington's history will surely be with existing collections outside of Bedlington. Probably all Bedlington has left are a few photos

Can Bedlington have its own museum. . . .? Having been involved with Beamish in the 1960s and then Woodhorn museum later on and the Northumberland Fusiliers museum at Alnwick Castle I wonder why the hell Bedlington hasn’t got its own museum. Grants and donations can be obtained I would love to be involved in such a project. My contribution would be financial and advice. Come on we deserve a museum.

What a great idea! Pity I don't live nearer.

https://www.northumberlandnetzero.uk/apply/free-trees?fbclid=IwY2xjawNjKoNleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHj814jY3EBkXVoM2c5XDd4SrHhRdyQstEzAeWn0m7q4PkGw5mcgR034zoqIT_aem_H4mkvU-6_T04lv-44awVbQ

https://www.northumberlandline.uk/post/bedlington-station-construction-drop-in-event-on-thursday-23rd-october-2025 Bedlington Station Construction - Drop In Event on Thursday 23rd October 2025 2 days ago The Northumberland Line team will be holding a public information drop-in session on Thursday 23 October 2025 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at East Bedlington Community Centre, 16 Station Street, Bedlington, NE22 7JN. Members of the team delivering the project, including Northumberland County Council and stations contractor Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, will be available to speak to about the construction works. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A DROP IN EVENT AND NOT A PRESENTATION EVENT. Advanced notice of kerb replacement works and drainage testing works From Monday 27 October 2025 – Friday 7 November 2025 we will be replacing the kerbs on Station Road, Palace Road and Ravensworth Street between the hours of 11:00pm – 6:00am Monday – Friday (nights only). During this period works to test the drains ahead of the drainage installation will also be carried out in the carriageway on Station Road, Ravensworth Street and the junction of Station Road on the evening of Monday 27 October 2025- Tuesday 28 October 2025 between the hours of 11:00pm – 6:00am. In order to carry put these works safely, traffic management will be in place in the form of multi-phase lights throughout this period of works. The phased traffic management approach will mean only one lane will be closed at once so access will be maintained throughout the works. Please note that a pedestrian diversion will in place during this period which will be clearly signposted. What to expect during the works Throughout these works there is potential for noise and vibration, and delays to your journey. We will aim to keep disruption as minimal as practically possible and within the terms agreed with the local planning authority.

Hi @loopylou Your turn to make a cuppa! Have you ever heard the saying ‘Cherchez l femme’ (literally, ‘look for the woman,) commonly used in detective fiction when solving mysteries? I have my own version ‘cherchez la pub’ (literally, ‘look for the public house’) which I use in detective reality to solve the mysteries of family-whereabouts. While streets and roads often change their names public houses very rarely do and when it does happen, it’s often to a spin-off from the old name. If your relative is John Storey (wife A, children: S A, E and J I) then it’s possible not only to find the street but possibly even the house. Just follow the enumerator on his route until you find both your relative and the nearest pub. Often the pub is still in existence today. Using my ‘cherchez la pub’ method, I followed the route of the enumerator, Mr George Thornton, in the 1871 census: Parliamentary Borough of Morpeth – Parish of Bedlington – Ecclesiastical district of Choppington, Enumeration district 10. George Thornton, describes his enumeration district as “Guide Post East, West, North & South. Choppington, Choppington New Colliery, Bothal Haugh, Sheepwash Bank, Sheepwash & Cleesewell Hill, Stakeford Gate & Cottage in the wood”. Following the census on the 3rd of April 1871 he starts his rounds at the Angler’s Arms (schedule nr 1) at the bottom of Sheepwash Bank and continues up the bank along what is today the A1068 to schedule numbers 2 – 5. These 4 dwellings, simply have the address “Sheepwash Bank” which is located in the “Hamlet of Sheepwash Bank”. From there he proceeds straight ahead to the “Village of Guide Post” where the 7 families resident at schedule numbers 6 - 12 simply have the address “Guide Post”. Still in the “Village of Guide Post” he continues along “Sheepwash West Street” and visits the 16 families living there (schedule nrs. 16 – 28). Moving on, he enters “Sheepwash - East Row” (schedule nrs. 29 – 57) and its 29 families. At schedule nr. 36 I find Thomas Marsden – hopefully the same person you mentioned in your previous post. At schedule nr 45 I find, what I believe to be your relatives, John Storey and family, and low and behold at schedule nr. 54 I find the first public house on George’s round. It’s called The Shakespeare– and here it is on a map from 1866! You’ll see that The Shakespeare is marked BH. This is because it was originally (1850s) a Beer House (marked BH on OS maps rather than PH, Public House). At that time, according to the North East Heritage Library, it was the most northern building in the Village of Guide Post. Being a beer house meant that it was only allowed to sell ale whereas a public house could sell anything. Because of this restriction it was much cheaper to obtain a licence for a beer house. Here is the ‘Shakespeare’ today. If you live in the area you’ll probably recognize it as being on Front Street in Guide Post though this is not the original building. So, where did John Storey live? Between John Storeys residence and The Shakespeare there were only 8 dwellings so my guess is that “Sheepwash West Street’ and “Sheepwash East Row,” both in the village of Guide Post” are the following - in which case John lived towards the northern end of “Sheepwash East Row” (possible West Street arrowed green, possible East Row arrowed blue) just a stone’s throw from the beer house. However, there is another option. East Row probably changed its name and if the above blue-arrowed row is East Row, then it was built out between 1866 and the 1890s filling the gap between the northern end of “Sheepwash East Row” and The Shakespeare. You can see this development in this compilation of 2 maps from the 1890s on the left and the 1920s on the right (The Shakespeare marked in red on the 1890s side and now a PH). If this development occurred between 1866 and 1871 when the census was completed, he would have lived in the new development. What about Thomas Marsden? A possible explanation for Guide Post vs. Scotland Gate may be a district boundary change. Just a thought! I hope this was of use to you and that you yourself might find a use for my ‘cherchez la pub’ method. If you want any of the documentation I've researched give me a shout.

A potential lead on from a newspaper article in 1874, I’m thinking maybe this East Row in 1871 was at Scotland Gate. Unless there were two, one there and one in Guide Post. 🤔 I’ve just checked and Thomas Marsden does appear in the 1871 census a few pages from my ancestors. So Scotland Gate, not Guide Post.

@DJA 24 Thank you for your reply. I’m already aware of the NLS maps (and what a brilliant resource they are!). I’ve looked at the Guide Post maps but unfortunately as you say, they don’t bring up much even when the layouts have been the same. Guide Post is quite a mystery… I searched up one of the named streets, Blyth Terrace, and even that has been enigmatic in results except a few newspaper articles.

Hello, You may already be aware of this so sorry if it's a repeat. National library of Scotland offers access (free!) to historical maps. If you're lucky the old maps have street names, sometimes not. Follow this link to the map for 1898, sadly no names but the layout is the same as the previous map and neither of the roads you seek are on that one. This is the link https://maps.nls.uk/view/101027289 Warning, you can spend endless hours just browsing where you lived or in my case born, a street in Crofton long since gone.

Not that i am aware of Vic.

I didn't get much out of that! did I miss anything new?

https://qtsdatacenters.com/data-centers/cambois/

Phew! That must have taken ages to compose. I am very grateful for the time you have given to this and all of your help. I absolutely accept that, as well as great success, I have made lots of mistakes, while researching my family history. I also believe that Mary Alice Snowdon was not born in Scotland. The baby registered in 1869 at Bellingham is much more likely to be my paternal grandmother. Regards. Colin